Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Death Of A Queen/The Days That Used To Be

I received word today that Koko Taylor, the Queen of the Blues, passed away. She was a great blues singer who I had the good fortune of seeing live on three occasions. The first time was the most memorable. I saw her in a very small, hole in the wall, blues club called "The Cherokee Blues Club" here in Louisville. It was everything a blues club should be. It was dark, smoky, and full of people drinking. Koko's band was hot and she was great. When the performance was over she walked through the crowd and when she got to me I lifted my hand and she gave me a high five. She continued right out the front door where her husband waited in a van. Koko could "Wang Dang Doodle" and sing the blues with the best of them. I saw her one more time in a small club but my final time seeing her was at a large outdoor concert on the 4th of July under a blazing hot sun. She was the opening act for Joe Cocker. She was quite a lady. Rest in peace, Koko.

I just finished watching a DVD I bought on my trip. It was a film of the original Moody Bluesrecorded live at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. It's a minor miracle that it even exists, much less released in a 5.1 Surround Sound edition. I absolutely love the Moody Blues and I have seen them many times. I still consider myself a hippie, albeit an aging one. The music of my youth, and the memories associated with it, fill me with warmth and a little sadness for all that has passed away. In general I find myself more emotional, sensitive, and sad as my life goes on. We are all so full of promise and hope when we are young. As we age life often forces us to do much that is contrary to who we are or who we want to be. Most get quickly trapped into responsibilities and obligations that consume much of our life. As adults we long for the freedom we had in our youth. Looking back, my youth, and the youth of my friends, seemed like a time that was truly lived with zest and adventure. As an adult I know much of the past is viewed with rose colored glasses. However, looking through the bi-focals I am wearing now, so many of us seem to live in small worlds. In those days of old I was part of a like minded group of fellow travelers. Today I am part of a family who do not seem like minded on any level. Though part of a family, these days I feel like I travel mostly alone except on the rare occasion when I am with fellow travelers of similar mind. Watching the youthful Moody Blues, and seeing the 600,000 people in the audience, reminds me how far we have traveled from the those days. In those times I was more in the moment than I can ever hope to be now. Yes, we have traveled far from those days in ways we don't even know. Neil Young wrote a great song about these days. Read these lyrics carefully. How far away are you from the days that used to be?

Days That Used To BePeople say don't rock the boat,let things go their own wayIdeas that once seem so right,now have gotten hard to sayI wish I could talk to you,you could talk to me'Cause there's very few of us leftmy friendFrom the days that used to be.

Seem like such a simple thingto follow one's own dreamBut possessions and concessionsare not often what they seemThey drag you downand load you downin disguise of security.But we never hadto make those dealsIn the days that used to be.

Talk to me, my long lost friend,tell me how you areAre you happy withyour circumstance,are you driving a new carDoes it get you where you wanna go,with a seven year warrantyOr just anotherhundred thousand miles awayFrom days that used to be.

About Me

I am a 66 year old retired hippie who once lived in a monastery and who strives to live a meaningful life. I enjoy books, music, films, writing, and spending time with my granddaughter. I strive to have a Zen mind and I seek this through the practice of mindfulness and contemplative living. I am an INFP on the Myers-Briggs and a Type Four on the Enneagram. Follow my thoughts on Twitter @tiedyedmystic.